Facing Death
by blackandblueangel
Summary: Emily's dead to everyone, except Hotch and JJ. Here's what happened before she "died".


**_Soo here I was about to go to sleep early, for once, when my story came floating to me and would not leave me alone….Grrrrr….Once again, I suck with titles. Anyways, anyone reading Girl from Nowhere, I'm working on it…promise…._**

**_Summary: Emily's dead to everyone, except Hotch and JJ. Here's what happened before she "died"._**

**_Disclaimer: …Uh, seriously? I think we already established this…..Does it look like I own the show? Trust me, if I did then "Lauren" and "JJ" would not have happened!_**

**_Spoiler: Lauren_**

They've been sitting in the waiting room for hours it seemed like. Doctors had to rush Emily into surgery to get that chunk of wood out of her in case of internal damage. JJ sat next to Garcia and looked around the room. Everyone looked so lost while trying to be strong. Reid had been pacing for close to an hour before finally sitting on the other side of Garcia. Rossi would sit, then standing, sit, then stand, JJ figured it was a nervous habit. Garcia was just staring out into space. She hadn't said a word since she and JJ met everyone at the hospital. JJ sat by her, holding her hand. Ashley sat with her legs to her chest and her arms around her legs. She didn't move the whole time. JJ knew that even though Ashley hadn't known Emily as long as everyone else did, Emily's condition hit her just as hard as everyone else. Morgan remained standing, but didn't take his eyes off the ground. He found Emily wounded. Guilt played in his head. If he had gotten to Emily sooner, maybe she wouldn't be in emergency surgery right now. As pointless as maybes and what-ifs are, it was human nature to think about it. Hotch sat in the back and, like Morgan, he stared at the ground. Some profiler he was. How could he not have noticed that Emily was in trouble? How could he not? Watching her family suffer this much brought tears to JJ's eyes. As much as she tried to hide them, they found their way out. She needed to get away for a few minutes. "I'm going to see if they can give me an update." She said as she stood up. As she left, Morgan took her seat by Garcia.

JJ found her way to the nurses' station, where there were four nurses and a receptionist. "I was wondering if you had an update on Emily Prentiss?" she asked.

Before the nurses had a chance to answer, JJ heard a voice from behind her. "Did you just ask about Emily Prentiss?" she turned around to find a man in green scrubs standing behind her. She nodded to him. "She's been out of surgery for about a half hour." He informed her.

JJ frowned. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"We wanted to wait until she woke up. Are you JJ?"

JJ nodded. "Yes."

"She's asking for you and you alone." He told her. "Follow me." He directed.

JJ quickly followed him. "Is she going to be okay?" she asked.

The doctor smiled. "Agent Prentiss should make a full recovery, but she needs to take it easy for a couple weeks and heal." He answered.

JJ smiled as she walked into Emily's room to find her alive and conscious. The doctor decided to give them some privacy. "I'd ask you how you're feeling, but I'm sure you still feel the affects of the nice drugs that they gave you." She said.

Emily smiled. "Yes, good good drugs." Then her smile faded. "I need you to do something for me." She said.

"Name it."

"Tell them I died." Emily said.

JJ's eyes widened in shock. "What? No!"

"JJ, listen to me." Emily said, calmly. "Doyle is still out there, I need to find him before he finds Declan." She explained. She knew this wasn't going to be easy. The last thing she wanted to do was leave her team and her family, but Clyde Easter already started making arrangements. She needed to convince JJ to help him finish and be her contact while she was gone. Emily trusted the blonde with her life and she needed someone she trusted in on this.

"You need to recover, Emily." JJ insisted.

"I know that, but after I'm done recovering, I need to find Doyle." She said, still trying to remain calm. The tears falling from JJ's eyes didn't make it any easier.

"Why do you have to be dead to do that?" JJ asked. "We can help you." She assured her.

"But then you would still be in danger. If Doyle knows that I'm alive, then you and the team would still have targets on your backs. You would be safer if everyone thinks that I'm dead, and so will I." She paused. "This is the only way. You know I'm right."

JJ knew she was right. She much as it pained her to admit it, she couldn't deny it. "Why tell me, then?" she asked.

"I need your help. Clyde Easter has already started making arrangements. He was here when I woke up. I need you to help him with that and I need you as my contact. I need someone I trust, JJ. I need you." She explained with tears in her eyes. "If Doyle thinks I'm dead, then he won't know I'm coming."

JJ sighed. "I'll make some calls." She said.

"Thank you." Emily whispered.

"We need to let Hotch in on this." JJ insisted.

Emily nodded. "I know."

"I want you to keep in contact with me as much as possible. If I don't hear from you after more than two weeks at a time, Emily Prentiss, then I am coming after you!" JJ warned.

Emily chuckled. "I don't doubt it."

JJ took her phone. "This is going to crush them."

A single tear fell down Emily face, which she wiped away. "I know."

"I'm going to get Hotch." JJ said as she walked out.

* * *

><p>Hotch wondered what would be taking JJ so long. She had been gone ten minutes. No one else seems to have noticed. They were all too focused on Emily. Hotch jumped as he felt she phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and noticed he had a text message from JJ. <em>Meet me by the nurses' station alone.<em> Hotch immediately stood up and when to meet her, ignoring everyone's questions as he left.

Hotch found JJ where she told him to meet her. "How's Prentiss?" he asked.

JJ led him towards Emily's room. "Doc says she'll be fine, but…" she trailed off. She didn't want to have to tell him this last part. "Emily Prentiss is dead to the rest of the world." She told him.

Hotch stopped short. He definitely was not expecting that. "What?"

JJ turned to face him. "She's going after Doyle. She needs him and everyone else to think she's dead for that." She explained.

"I don't like this." He said.

"Neither do I, but this is what she wants and it's already in the works." She told him. "The team can't know either."

"I can't tell them she's dead, JJ." Hotch admitted. He was known for being strong, sometimes too strong and sometimes emotionless, but he couldn't tell his team, his family, that the woman they all consider a sister was dead.

JJ nodded, she understood that and didn't expect him to tell them. "I'll tell them." She offered. "Come on." She led him to Emily's room.

Hotch entered her room without JJ. She had calls to make. "Are you sure this is what you want, Prentiss?" Hotch asked.

Emily nodded. "It'll be easier hunting down Doyle before he got to Declan if I didn't have to worry about your safety, too."

Hotch sighed. "Your death won't be easy for them to get passed." She told her.

She closed her eyes briefly before opening them, again. She had already taken that into account. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

Hotch nodded. "I know." He said. "What you need to do is get yourself better and stay safe. I don't want to get a call from JJ saying that the plan failed and you're dead." He ordered.

Emily nodded. "Once I find Doyle and ensure Declan's safety, I will be back. That's a promise." She vowed.

"I believe you." He said. "Take care of yourself, Emily." He said as he turned to leave.

"Wait." She said. He turned back to her. "Ashley is going to be a great agent. You should keep her on the team after she graduates." She pointed out.

Hotch gave her one of his rare smiles. "I'll keep that in mind." He said, before leaving.

As Hotch walked out the door, JJ hung up her phone. "I have a couple more calls to make and I'll meet you guys out there in 15 minutes." She said. Hotch nodded before leaving. JJ walked back into Emily's room. "Arrangements are almost set. Easter must have known I'd agree to help you, because he called me while Hotch was in here." She informed her.

Emily nodded. "I told him you'd help. I know you, JJ." She chuckled.

JJ smiled. "You're going to France after you recover. Until I meet you there, you'll be known as Alice Murray. Easter will be by with your new passport in a few days. I'll meet you in Paris with your new identity, passports, and other things you'll need." She explained.

"Thank you, JJ." Emily said. She knew she was asking a lot of her friend. Too much in her opinion, but it was something she needed to do.

"I have to go. I have to figure a way to tell them you're dead and fast." She said, as the tears returned. How can she do this to the people she cared about?

"I'm sorry, JJ" Emily whispered.

JJ nodded as she wiped her tears away. "I know." She said. "I'll see you in a week." She said before leaving.

She walked towards the waiting room. The longer she waited to tell them, the harder it would be on her. God, how was she going to do this? She'd be causing them as much pain as Emily was. She stopped just before she was in sight of her team and took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing._ As soon as her team saw her, they turned all their attention to her. She tried to speak but nothing came out. She couldn't find the word to say. She didn't need to say anything. By the look on their faces, they knew what JJ was about to tell them. "She never made it off the table." She said. Immediately, Reid got up to walk past her, but she stopped him. "Spence."

"I never got to say goodbye." He said. JJ pulled him into a hug. She let a few tears escape as she looked at the rest of her family. Garcia was crying, Morgan refused to cry, Ashley looked like she was in denial of what was happening, and Rossi looked like he was on the verge of tears. JJ wondered if she was doing the right thing.

Hotch stood up and walked into another room, waiting for JJ. As soon as she was able to pull herself away from Reid, she joined him. "Everything's set." She told him.

"Where is she going, JJ?" He asked.

"It's better that you don't know." She answered.

Hotch nodded. He knew she was right. "Make sure she stays safe, JJ." He ordered.

"I will." She assured him. No matter what, Emily Prentiss was coming home. One serial killing psycho wasn't going to change that. Emily would be home and this would be nothing more than a nightmare, JJ was sure of it.

_**Well, what do you think? I'm not so sure about it. Constructive criticism is not only welcome, I beg for it! Hehe. I'm about halfway done with the next chapter for Girl from Nowhere. With any luck, it'll be up within the next couple of days. I'm not making any promises b/c I'm not so good at keeping those on here. Despite what most other people think….I don't think Seavers is that bad. I think most people don't like her because they feel she replaced JJ. I can see where they're coming from on that, b/c they do have some similarities. I'm giving her a chance, but I will always like JJ and Emily better. Now, if Garcia left, then I'm so done watching this show! Forget the profilers, Garcia rocks!**_


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